STEM

A recent scare of space junk colliding with the International Space Station has brought the larger problem of space debris to the forefront. The debris orbits at 17,500 mph which means that even a speck of paint could damage spacecraft. NASA and the U.S. Department of Defense are working on precautions to prevent future damages. […]

NASA’s Kepler spacecraft has discovered a total of 1,235 planets previously undiscovered. The planets are discovered by monitoring a dip in stars’ brightness as the planets pass by them. Out of the 1,235 planets, 54 are candidates for containing liquid water on its surface. Read the full article at LiveScience.com

NASA recently unveiled its newest manned space capsule, the Orion. Lockheed Martin revealed the prototype that will go through a series of trials prior to its 2013 test flight. The capsule is made specifically for exploration missions involving asteroids and Mars. Read the full article at MSNBC.com

A new report by a NASA scientist claims that extraterrestrial life has been found in the form of fossilized bacteria on three meteorites. The microscopic forms are similar to Earth’s blue-green algae and the lifeforms can survive severe atmospheres. Read the full article at Reuters.com

Astronauts aboard the Discovery space shuttle are using a humanoid robot to work on the International Space Station. The Robonaut 2 lives on board with the astronauts and will be affixed to a pedestal from which it can work. Engineers hope to ship its legs later this year. Read the full article at ComputerWorld.com